Stargate Universal Sin Episode 2
by Lone-ranger1
Summary: Following theit defeat at Asuras, everyone is dealing with their individual demons and torturers. Second part of the Stargate: Universal Sin series. Heavy Ronon, Rodney, and Sam focus, but everyone gets a scene or 2.


**Stargate Atlantis – Universal Sin**

**Alternate Season 4 of Atlantis**

**Episode 2 - Tainted Treasure**

**------------------**

**A/N: **Many thanks to **IceMenace** for proofreading my own proofread. This is the edited version of Tainted Treasure.**  
**

* * *

Four more inches, that's all Ronon wanted. Four more inches and he could bite Todd's throat out, see to just how much healing power the Wraith really had. "What are you doing?"

Todd chuckled and tapped on the screen as the other Hive neared. The bridge was mostly deserted, most of Todd's crew resting after the battle. "Does it matter to you? I would think my pet would only care to be well treated."

Ronon rushed forward but felt the shackles hold him down, this wasn't like any of his prior experiences with the Wraith and he knew that Todd had something sinister planned for him. "I'm not your pet. Let me go and I'll show you just what I think of you."

With a shrug, Todd waved him down. "Perhaps later… for now all you need to know is I'm the only thing keeping you alive. My Sub-Commander was quite fancy on feasting on your fortitude, but I forbade it."

Ronon hated alliteration; it always made him feel as if the person were mocking him. But Ronon was righteously indignant, and he snarled at Todd furiously. "Put me and him in a room… I dare you."

Rolling his eyes, Todd opened hailing frequencies with the Hive ahead of him. "When I lose my interest in you. For now, silence." With no hesitation, he pulled out his stunner pistol and sent a trio of stun bolts into Ronon's chest. The already kneeling Satedan slumped down, fighting it every step of the way. But it was too much for even his physiology and consciousness left him.

The other Hive's queen came on the screen, and she hissed at Todd. "I was beginning to think you were nothing more than a ghost. Reports of the battle were not favorable."

Todd smiled, and he replied deadpan. "I have lived for ten thousand years, and with the Zero Point Energy Modules I now have aboard, I plan to continue living for another ten thousand."

The Queen grinned deviously, and she made a motion with her face. Alarms suddenly rang over Todd's head and the surprise was evident on his face. The Queen's tone was quite amused. "Perhaps… but under _my_ rule."

Were Ronon awake, he would have been privy to see the best laid plans of a wily old Wraith fall completely apart.

* * *

Sam didn't know what to do now. Major Lorne was sitting beside her, the defacto new Military Commander of Atlantis. "We've just received the shipment of Trinium for _Daedalus_… you need to sign off on the shipping receipt." How did they die? Were they even dead? The Replicators were notorious for keeping their captives alive… for a _long_ time. "Colonel?" And Sheppard… there was no word at all from the Travelers. He had been officially declared MIA and likely KIA… "Colonel?" … Added to the hundreds dead already… Atlantis was suddenly not such a fairy tale to be commanding. "Sam."

Hearing her name jarred her back to reality and she couldn't help but give Lorne a dejected expression. "Yeah… uhh yeah… Shipping… Trinium… Right." With a quick and rough move, Sam grabbed the pad and using her digital pen, scribbled down her signature. She quickly got back to her work and the remaining AR teams reports.

Lorne stopped his work for a moment and looked like he wanted to say something, but seeing that Sam was obviously not in the mood to talk about it, and not feeling too comfortable himself, changed the subject. "I've recommended Lieutenant Cadman be put in charge of AR-2. She's got the Pegasus experience and only the lack of needing officers has kept her a Lieutenant."

Sam swallowed the lump in her throat. Certainly there were many openings since the battle last week. "… I agree… and you're going to be taking charge of AR-1."

Lorne shifted uncomfortably in his chair, speaking about Sheppard made him agitated, especially since it seemed that he was trying to fill the man's shoes now. "Uhh… actually I wanted to talk to you about that."

With a shake of her head Sam pushed forward. Soldier Sam was a cruel black widow and Evan Lorne had better not be trying to play on her sympathy. "We need a flagship team, Major. Your team is the most experienced and since everyone on AR-1 is either KIA or… _indisposed_…"

Lorne winced, and his right fist curled reflexively. "… Yes, ma'am."

Sam knew she was being harsh and decided to frost it with just a hint of concern. "I know this is difficult, Major, we're all feeling it. But you and I are now the leaders of this expedition and everyone is looking to us for guidance. So I want you to take a day and choose a new team to lead."

Lorne nodded and sighed. "Yes, Ma'am…" He took a few seconds and looked Sam straight in the eyes. "… He's alive, you know."

Sam looked away, she refused to speculate on things that could potentially hurt that much. "I'm praying. But we can't stall out. I need you to think clearly, Major…" Sam realized that Major Lorne had worked with Sheppard for almost three years. Obviously they had a strong camaraderie. "… Take the rest of the day off. Choose a new team but don't do any paperwork."

Major Lorne felt the icy sting of consolation, and decided he wasn't worthy of it. "No no… it's alright Ma'am. I'll get a new team chosen and finish up the new inventory. We're still expecting more technical staff to assist in repairing _Daedalus_."

Sam hated every minute of this. This was _not_ the auspicious first command she had envisioned. Instead of leading a marvelous city, she now led an expedition tainted with death and the stench of depression. Once Lorne was out of her office, she tossed her pen onto the tablet and just began to think.

-------------

"This is pointless you know."

Larrin didn't bother to pay attention and instead put her foot to John's chest. "Makes me feel better."

With a slight shove, John toppled over with his chair and slammed into the ground. His body was already aching from being tied up for so long, and his throat was parched with thirst. "_Urgh! _Dammit… Come on Larrin, we can still work together! You know as well as I do that the Replicators won't stop now."

Larrin walked around him, noting just how ragged John's breath was. Amazingly despite the beating she'd given him, his hair was still undamaged. "Oh? How long did it take your pretty little head to figure that out?"

With a snort, John shook his head in frustration. "Dammit, I'm trying to _help you!_ Just because we lost the battle doesn't mean we have to lose the war!"

Her foot pushed against his thigh and the chair fell over onto it's side taking John into a very uncomfortable position. Larrin stared at him as she crouched down face to face. "Oh? And exactly what can your people do? You've already lost one ship, and I'm not risking anymore of mine!"

Without an immediate answer, Larrin got up and stormed off. She motioned to her second in command to get some food into Sheppard so they could continue later. John felt that this was going all in the wrong direction.

-------------------

Rodney turned towards Sheppard, his voice sounding odd. "Dial the gate, Rodney."

Rodney shook his head vehemently, something… no… _everything_ was wrong with this. "What!? No! You dial it!"

Sheppard rolled his eyes and scoffed. "What, you forget the address? Figures."

To his side, Sam stood with an annoyed glance. What she was doing here on some random forest world was unknown. "I bet you're the kind of guy to stand in an elevator next to the buttons and not press them."

It wasn't real… _it wasn't real!_ "No! Dammit I know who you are! Don't try and tell me otherwise because I can see you!"

Rolling her eyes, Sam scoffed. "You know, Rodney, for a pretty smart guy you can really be a moron sometimes."

Rodney could see it all. He could see the fakeness… the one-dimensional aspect of what he was seeing. Nothing made sense and he couldn't tell _how_ he could see it, or even sense it. But he knew that this just wasn't real. "That might be, but the real Sam Carter would never talk like that!"

Sighing, Sam turned around and vanished in frustration. Fake-Sheppard rolled his eyes as well and muttered. "You can't keep this up forever. You _will_ tell us what we want to know."

Rodney shook his head, but suddenly felt a stabbing pain in his temple. "Urgghh… maybe… but you're gonna have to do a lot more than just impersonate my friends…!"

A hand came down on his shoulder, and suddenly Rodney was back in the real world… at least it felt like the real world. Oberoth stood before him as he was forced down to his knees. "As you wish."

No matter how many times it happened, Rodney still let out a momentary shriek of anguish as Oberoth shoved that nanite hand into his brain for what seemed the millionth time.

---------------

Sitting in her office, Sam listened to Mr. Woolsey as he explained the politics going on back on Earth. "We've begun deliberations, Colonel. The Free Jaffa Nation has requested to be a party as well and we're still waiting for their delegates."

Sam didn't know whether to feel reassured or not. While Bra'tac and Teal'c were imposing figures in the fledgling Jaffa democracy, hardliner Jaffa extremists were still the majority. "Will you be bringing up my proposal?"

On the other side of the screen, Woolsey hesitated a moment then nodded. "Yes, however I myself will not be presenting it in order to prevent the look of bias on the IOA's part. General Landry and General O'Neill have offered to be your proxies."

For the first time in awhile, Sam felt the urge to smile. It didn't happen though, despite her old friend's support. "That's good to hear. I hope the Jaffa and the IOA understand that…"

With an exasperated sigh, Woolsey leaned into the screen conspiratorially. "Colonel… I know you have high hopes for an evacuation en masse, but you must understand that these things are political and very volatile. Ever since your inability to defeat the Replicators with your unconventional tactics, many have lost faith in the expedition."

It hurt to hear those words. Sam felt like screaming, she felt like telling Woolsey to get off his cozy chair in the Milky Way and come look at the true face of war in Pegasus. What hurt the most was that it seemed her thirteen years of faithful and unquestionable loyalty to the Stargate Program were completely ignored. "Even so, I find it hard to believe that the Jaffa government and the IOA especially would be willing to see Pegasus civilians die needlessly."

"It has nothing to do with that, Colonel Carter." Woolsey sighed harshly and looked off to the side. "It has to do with the political relationship between the Jaffa Government and the IOA. We're already infamous for bringing the hammer down on the galaxy when it comes to meeting hostile species, and the IOA does not want to be responsible for another galactic catastrophe."

Sam froze, what was Woolsey saying? "Excuse me? Perhaps you can trim a little politician off that and explain."

The bald headed man didn't laugh but instead growled softly in his throat. "I will tell you plainly that the biggest concern of both the Jaffa and IOA is that either the Wraith, or worse still, the Asurans will see an evacuation of Pegasus as a guide rail to the Milky Way. The Wraith have already attempted an invasion and we are reluctant to risk another."

Sam couldn't help but catch his wording. "'We'?"

Woolsey became slightly flustered, and became very still. "My point is that at its very core, Atlantis is still just an expedition and, if necessary, an expedition that can be recalled."

It took all of her concentration, but even with almost 20 years of military training, Sam still couldn't resist just shutting off the monitor and walking away. Her only consolation was that on the other end, she still had allies who gladly took her side.

-------------------

The cell was barren of all but the most basic, just a bench for him to sit down and contemplate his doom. The ease of his capture had been surprising, but not wholly fruitless.

"Serves you right."

Todd made no attempt to reply to the Satedan's remark. Granted, yes… this wasn't what he had planned, but for the most part it was still perfectly possible to come out on top. Especially since he had planned for every circumstance to extreme measure. One doesn't live to ten thousand without learning to cover all your bases.

The rival Hive had taken the ZPM's on board and had brought him to the primordial cloning facility. Todd could understand why they would think it was the best course of action. It was this facility which had created the forces needed to defeat the Lanteans of old, and the temptation to use it against the Asurans now that they had the power to use it was quite alluring. But the problems using it would create were larger than the benefit, a vast problem indeed. Drones needed only to feed periodically, but when dealing with thousands or gods forbid, _millions_… Not to mention the number of ships that would need to be fed as well…

Already there was a shortage of food in the galaxy, and the Asurans were quickly wiping out what was left. Todd had seen what lack of food would create, and the abominations that cannibalism created were… distasteful to say the least.

But Todd had prepared for this. In fact, he had planned to come here anyway. The only difference would be that he would be short a few ZPMs for his master plan, but if things worked out, Pegasus would only be a stepping stone.

" I hope they feed on you first."

Oddly enough, Ronon's wish could yet come true, and Todd's last hope came from the Satedan's pure hatred of Wraith.

* * *

"Oh fer cryin' out loud… what _are_ you people, robots?! We're talkin' bout a whole damn galaxy! Not just some backwater planet!"

It felt lonely to be sitting at the table with the dozen representatives from across the Galaxy. So far, Teal'c was the only Jaffa willing to listen, which told scores of his humanity compared to the emotionless faces of the IOA. "I'm sorry General, but we have to consider more than just the lives in Pegasus."

Rarely did O'Neill ever feel the need to strangle someone, Robert Kinsey had been one of the biggest, but this was definitely taking the cake as far as frustration. "One planet. Hell it doesn't even have to be a populated planet! From the report Carter sent us, most people coming through are _farmers_!"

The new head of the IOA, a spindly looking man named Mr. Coolidge, leaned forward and got everyone's attention. "General, that's exactly the point I and my Jaffa associates are trying to make. They know nothing of technology or survival in a technological galaxy. The Wraith have been overshadowing them for millennia and the giant change coming here would only create panic and discord among them."

Landry growled softly and deadpanned. "Still better than being dead."

With a respectful air, Teal'c imposing voice got everyone's attention. "While I do agree with General Landry, I also understand my fellow Jaffa's fears. Stability has still not been restored in this galaxy, and many factions of minor Goa'uld and the Lucian Alliance still remain. I would be hesitant to bring such a simple people here only to have them become fodder for such figures."

Another Jaffa named Al'Mac, the current leader of the Jaffa council nodded and nearly growled. "They would become vermin, spread out across the galaxy causing only trouble. I do not doubt that many would even become mercenaries in the employ of false gods and evil men."

This argument was going nowhere, and Jack was hard pressed not to start accusing them of being as robotic as the ones they feared. "Who says we can't help them? The Nox are still around. They're all peace and love."

Instantly Mr. Woolsey spoke up having been uncharacteristically quiet in the debate. "I believe I speak for all my comrades when I put forth my objection. The Nox have been reluctant to speak to either Human or Jaffa ever since the Jaffa Rebellion. We have been attempting to reach some level of trade and negotiation with them, but asking them to help us save an entire galaxy would be too much."

Now Jack really wanted to kill someone. In the machination of the universe, somehow he had joined these cogs of utter imbecility, and sorely wished he could just renounce his position as General and go help Sam kick some ass.

* * *

In the grand scheme of things, Teyla didn't consider herself to be that important. As much as her leadership of the Athosian people meant to her, having them still missing was only a small part of the ebb and flow of the universe.

Despite this, it still felt as if a portion of her heart had been shorn off, savagely ripped from her chest as if from some wild animal attack.

The loss of her closest friends, and the depressive attitude around Atlantis was taking its toll on her. For weeks, Teyla had been opposed to Dr Keller's idea of becoming somewhat more sedentary. With no one to spar or walk with now, and those who remained, busy like never before, Teyla felt truly alone for the first time since walking into her village and seeing nothing but rubble.

"Hey, Teyla… Jennifer told me I could find you here."

Teyla turned in her seat in the mess hall and smiled softly at Major Lorne. As strange as it seemed, Major Lorne had been a new and strong support for Teyla, he himself bringing her the news that Ronon and Rodney were likely dead and Sheppard was MIA.

Strangely, the news only affected her somewhat stronger than other similar events. Loss had become a part of Teyla's life, and the only relief Teyla ever found was with silently bearing the pain while showing none except to her closest friends… of whom there were few now. "Major Lorne. To what do I owe the attention?"

Evan sighed softly then sat down across from her with a small tray of food. "Jennifer told me she's worried about you… and frankly I was going to come see you anyway."

Teyla smiled and nodded. "I appreciate the concern, but it is not necessary."

Evan bit his lip gently and curled his fist in frustration. "I… I know it's been a hard few weeks. We're all feeling it… I'm not-I'm not gonna tell you it's all gonna be okay… but we're here for you, Teyla. That's never gonna change."

It was brutally honest and, try as she might, Teyla couldn't meet Evan's gaze. "I… I am grateful… For everything. While I do wish the others were here, I am confident that I am not without friends." It was a half-lie. There were really only two others Teyla could speak to now. "I count you as one of them, Major Lorne."

Evan shook his hand and took a bite out of his sandwich. "Please, call me Evan."

The galaxy was a cruel place, but even so, little miracles did occur, and one happened then in Teyla's heart as just a fraction of the immense pain she had was healed over. "Thank you… Evan."

----------------

"Tell me… do you really hate the Wraith?"

Ronon almost scoffed, how could Todd ask such a stupid question? "How bout we share a cell, then we'll see how much I love you."

Todd laughed heartily, which totally confused Ronon as they were likely only moments from being fed on. "Ha ha… well then, if it would mean survival and the death of thousands of Wraith, would you spare a single one?"

Ronon thought about the question, and his answer was quick. "Depends."

"On?"

With a devious smirk, one the Satedan could only have learned from Sheppard, he deadpanned. "Who."

A few more chuckles and Todd took a deep breath. "I take that as offence… and I take it gladly."

Ronon rolled his eyes and kept pacing in his cell. When they came to drag him before the Queen or whoever it was that was in charge here, he'd show them just what fury the Satedan people carried within them. "Good, cuz I've got a lot more for you." The smile on Todd's face only grew, and Ronon finally couldn't take it. "Were you serious?"

Feigning ignorance, Todd pointed to himself. "Who, I?"

Ronon growled, and contemplated trying to nail the Wraith with one of the blades hidden in his hair just for pure satisfaction. "Yes, you! Are you serious? Do you know a way outta here?" He hated having to ask, but having had more time to consider the question, Ronon might be willing to spare Todd's life in exchange for escape and potential genocide against the Wraith.

With a devious grin that just would not stop, Todd gave an almost imperceptible nod. "Perhaps… but I require your assistance."

Ronon snarled softly and contemplated it. Could he help Todd? Surely the Wraith had something planned, but if worse came to worst, Ronon could always kill him after escaping. "What do you need?"

With a perfectly calm voice, Todd motioned to Ronon with his head and muttered. "I require a knife."

Never in his life had Ronon given his weapon to an enemy… but with things going the way they already were, perhaps insanity really was the way to go.

* * *

"Sorry, Carter, believe me, if it were up to me I'd tie that Coolidge kid from a flagpole and play some tetherball, but Teal'c is probably gonna kill him anyway since he called Ish'ta 'Honey' so I wouldn't put asking again in a few weeks aside."

Sam winced and tried to keep from cursing. Despite the comedy of an angry Teal'c, the denial to evacuate Pegasus civilians from the battlefield hurt more than she thought it would. "Thanks for trying, sir. I'm sure they have _good_ reasons."

The harsh sarcasm wasn't lost on the General, who narrowed his eyes and raised an eyebrow. "Carter… was that _sarcasm_?"

One of the last reasons Sam had to smile, her tone was deadpan. "I had a good teacher."

With instant vigor, Jack smirked and boasted. "Bull! You had the _best_!" A few laughs, hollow, but laughs all the same, and a momentary silence. Jack finally smacked his lips and shrugged his head. "I do have some good news. Both the IOA and Jaffa are sending relief supplies to Atlantis since I told them you're still taking in refugees. Even they couldn't deny that."

A huge burden lifted off Sam's shoulders, and if Jack were there in person he would be at risk of getting a peck on the cheek. An obvious break of the Frat Rules, but dammit Sam was ecstatic that there was at least some good news. "That's a relief… no pun intended… we're already to Atlantis's capacity given the mainland, and we've got four teams scavenging whatever they can from any worlds we know. I was about to start checking the caloric value of my jumpsuit it's getting so bad."

Jack grimaced in mock horror, but was gladder that Sam had made her first joke in several weeks than amused at the peculiar humor. He checked his _'stripping for food'_ joke and instead just rolled his eyes. "Well before we do that, you can dig into the relief supplies, too. I'm sure there must be Jell-O in there somewhere."

Sam smiled, and noted the transmission time was almost over. "Thank you, sir. I'll make sure to check… I'll have my appeal to the IOA ready for you tomorrow."

With a curt nod, Jack replied deadpan. "Already got the paperwork ready… See ya tomorrow, Carter."

"Tomorrow, Sir."

The screen flickered a moment before finally ending and Sam felt just a little better. Jack had always been there, always ready to help. But despite feeling a small tinge of selfishness, wanting to go back to the Milky Way now that things had gone completely FUBAR… Sam was unwilling to abandon her post… unwilling to go down without a fight.

* * *

Ronon watched in awe as Todd inserted the knife into his own belly. Nothing could have prepared him to see the Wraith do such a thing. "If you wanted to kill yourself, I can still do it for you."

Todd chuckled as he gritted his teeth. He would have to act fast, his healing ability would quickly regenerate him and Todd needed what was inside his stomach. Digging in, the dull gunmetal of the object he'd found on Ronon forced a groan from his lips as he removed it. "It was much easier to _insert_ it than it's proving to remove it…"

Todd finished pulling the small backup PDA out, and gasped as he felt the healing process kick into high gear. He would have to feed soon if he wanted to have any chance of escape. Ronon furrowed his brow in confusion, but after a moment realized what it was. "Hey! That's…" The memory stung harshly in Ronon's mind. Rodney's last words to him burned like acid and the stench of failure and shame suddenly made Ronon grimace and look to the floor.

Todd noticed instantly, and wiped the screen clear of his own blood. "Yes… I assume you were given this by Dr McKay. Ingenious really; input to any Zero Point Energy module or its controls and it will start an irreversible overload. A shame it did not come into use on Asuras… but then again that's why you're here."

Ronon howled in rage and tried to squeeze his hands through the organic cell doors. Of course his arms would have to be ten feet longer to reach across the room, but the meaning was there.

Todd cleaned the knife on his coat then taking a moment to sense for any nearby Wraith, flung it out the small openings of the cell and into the organic lock. His aim was true, and the cell doors to his prison opened. "A lesson well learnt. Never be caught without a knife again." Todd took a few steps out, but felt the weakness of hunger force him to the side of the hallway. He stared into Ronon's cell and panted. "I am too weak to escape on my own… and you will never escape without my help…"

Ronon growled and reached out to strangle Todd. "You think I care if I live?!"

Todd snarled now, angered by the Satedan's ignorant words. "I am offering you a chance of a lifetime. Do you know what this place is!?"

"Don't know… don't care."

"This is where we defeated the Lanteans over ten thousand years ago."

With the startling revelation, Ronon finally decided to give Todd the time of day. He didn't believe in God, but the Ancestors were the closest thing in his mind. Anything powerful enough to defeat them struck fear into his heart. "What?"

Todd huffed as he tried to keep calm. Excitement would deplete his energy further and that was the last thing he needed. "This is a mass cloning facility. The ZPM's my rivals stole will soon give birth to thousands if not millions of Wraith… something neither of us wants."

Ronon now understood the implication. The Wraith had defeated the Lanteans by drowning them in the very blood they spilled. The thought that it might happen again… "Why would you want to stop them…? The Replicators are kicking your ass and this sounds like exactly what you need."

"We have little food as it is. With thousands more we will exhaust our food supply even faster…"

Ronon had to get one last rip in before he decided. "You could always eat each other."

Todd didn't bother to reply to such a comment and instead growled. "The decision is yours, but to show my good faith." Todd leaned over and tapped the open function for Ronon's cell. Instantly, the Satedan jumped out and slammed Todd into the ground with fury. A blade was in his hand, where he'd gotten it was a mystery only his cavernous hair could decipher.

Neither said anything, the animosity between them culminating with the blade not one inch from Todd's face.

Ronon took the second of hesitation to think. He was alive… Rodney wasn't… and now he had a chance to give Rodney's death some meaning.

In Ronon's mind, the PDA Todd carried was the last thing Rodney ever asked of him… to detonate a ZPM. Maybe it wouldn't be the replicators he'd blow up, but the Wraith were just as good a target.

* * *

"Rodney! We're getting overrun! Dial Earth! "

Frozen in panic, Rodney watched in utter dread as Major Lorne unleashed a barrage of ARG fire into the oncoming Replicator, grimace in horror as it had no effect, then scream in agony as the Replicator smashed him to the side, up and over the railing of the bridge to the control room. He landed hard on the alloys of the Gateroom below, dead or dying, Rodney didn't know which.

Below him, Sam, Sheppard, Ronon and a very pregnant Teyla were holding a last stand against the oncoming replicators, the self-destruct was almost over and only seconds remained. "Dial the gate, Rodney! Please!"

There was no way Rodney would make it, and neither would any of the technicians in the control room with him… how had it come to this?

He began to dial, by God his friends were going to…

Wait… What? How the… "No… this… this can't be right… We have a ZPM!"

In the Gateroom below, Sheppard screamed, "Rodney! Dial the gate _now_!"

Teyla frantically screamed as well, her ARG also useless against the Replicator that had jumped down and finished off whatever may have been left of Lorne with a twenty foot knee drop to the chest. "Rodney! Please! You must finish dialing!"

No… no it can't be… "You're… you're not Teyla… You're not real… no it can't be…"

Ronon let out a primal scream of wrath and charged forward protecting Teyla. Sheppard and Sam crouched and fired what they could. But the replicator just would not go down. Sam's final scream as she reloaded the ARG was unlike anything he'd ever heard from her. "_Dammit,_ _Rodney_! Do it! Now!"

Rodney watched in horror as the Replicator swatted Ronon's blaster and sword away even as he took fire and crushed the Satedan's ribcage with a punch. It next moved on Sam, but Sheppard threw himself in the way and was instantly killed by a kick that sent him flying across the room.

Rodney couldn't watch anymore and cowered in fear. He kept his hands over his head and tried to drown out the sounds of Sam and Teyla shrieking in agony as the Replicator reached them. "It's not real… they're not real… this isn't Atlantis… it's not real…"

Rodney continually chanted the mantra, just repeating it in his head in his panicky terrorized mental voice. "Not real… not real… not real…"

----------------

Ronon waited a half a second then lunged out with his leg in a sweep. The Wraith commander quickly fell to the ground following the surprise attack and was stunned from the hard landing. Ronon wasted no time in unsheathing his knife and shoving it deeply into the Wraith's neck, quickly using up all his foe's healing ability.

A few paces behind him, hidden as well, Todd muttered something under his breath. Ronon turned, still wary about this uneasy alliance. "What?"

Todd shook his head and leaned on the wall. "Nothing… but I must feed soon."

Ronon gripped his knife a little harder. "And I care how?"

With a roll of his eye, Todd decided to make a sacrifice he'd hoped never to make. "I will not be able to pilot us out of here to the orbital ring if I am not stronger… I must ask you not kill the next Wraith we see."

Just a little surprise came to Ronon, after all, he _did_ think Todd was a monster. "_Eugh_… no promises."

* * *

"The resilience of this one is profound… there is something different about his brain chemistry, he seems to be able to digest the data we share through an organic means. An impressive sight indeed."

Oberoth's second in command, Talia, was much more respectful than he. The two of them watching as another Asuran probed Rodney's mind without success. Oberoth replied to her impressed thought with a harsh one of his own. "He is nothing but a human, a purposefully inferior life. Resistance can be broken and his will shall erode."

Talia wasn't so sure. It had been months since the incident with Niam, and no matter how much she knew the logical conclusion, the fact that Dr McKay was continually making the strangest yet utterly effective connections in his mind to defend against the probing was… disconcerting. "Why do we keep him then? The others would have sufficed."

A digital equivalent of a shake of the head and Oberoth leaned forward to look at Rodney as his face grimaced, sweat pouring down his temples and lips trembling. What form of life was so frail as to require sustenance as simple as hydrocarbon chains, protein, glycerols and amino acids? Even the Wraith were more sophisticated as much as Oberoth felt the rage against them. "He came within a hairbreadth of annihilating us. There may be others like him and we must assume they will try again."

Talia didn't enjoy the prospect, but looking at the evidence, it seemed more than a fair assessment. "Perhaps you are right. I should not doubt victory when it is only time that stands in our way."

Rodney gasped loudly as his mind ran through another simulation and yet again he was forced to watch his friends die begging for his help.

_Pft_ thought Oberoth. _Emotions_… Fear… Hatred, Cowardice, and surprisingly, even some strange sense of Courage. Dr. McKay was a very complex simple organism indeed… but the limits of his endurance were still yet to be tested fully.

* * *

Ronon watched almost impassively as Todd jumped the Wraith he'd just disabled, and within seconds nothing but a husk remained. "You're a monster."

Todd, feeling disturbingly refreshed, looked to Ronon with hate filled eyes. "As are you… and that is what makes you such a worthy adversary."

Neither said anything simply handed the PDA to Ronon. "They will discover our escape momentarily. I will retrieve a Dart for our escape."

Ronon snarled and ground his teeth. "Don't bother." He didn't wait for a reply and instead headed towards the area Todd had told him the ZPM's were located. The only hope in his mind was that with the pair of stunners, he'd be able to hold off the Wraith long enough to send them all to hell.

Todd simply rolled his eyes, and moved stealthily towards the hanger bay.

It wasn't long before Ronon found the room he needed. Alarms now blared indicating the base was on full alert. He wished once more that his Traveler Blaster was still with him, wondered if he could ever find a replacement, and silently assured himself that it wouldn't matter.

A pair of Wraith came at him from the front, newly created Drones without even a weapon. Ronon savagely fired stunner bolt after stunner bolt into them, giving them the peace of unconsciousness in the firestorm that was to come.

Ronon recalled Arcturus and the size of that explosion. From what he understood, the energy there was even bigger than a ZPM. But a solar system was nowhere near what he wanted to destroy now and he was confident the trio of ZPM's he was about to overload would crack this entire planet in half.

That appealed to him. This would be by far the most destructive weapon he'd ever unleashed on the Wraith.

The ZPM room ahead of him was unguarded. _Fools_. It was a somewhat simple matter to find a plug that looked like it might support the connection the PDA had and soon even louder alarms and strange but aggressive looking text began to scroll across the screens of the console.

That's when he saw it. Ronon hadn't even realized that the room was so large, or that the facility went so deep. Dozens, hundreds… _thousands_ of Wraith Drone pods were activating…

The realization of just what he'd accomplished was mindnumbing… Todd had been serious that he would indeed kill so many Wraith. It made Ronon wonder exactly how this would go down in history, or whether there would be anyone left to write it..

He took the PDA with him, the last memory Ronon had of Rodney. He'd honored his friend and now, when Ronon met him in the afterlife, it would be a good meeting.

Ronon ran freely, ignoring any Wraith screams or even stunner bolts that flew his way as he tore across the halls of the facility. He was dead, they were all dead. Just a matter of time now.

It came as a pleasant surprise when he reached an exit, but Ronon gladly took deep breaths of the pure forest air outside, instead of the reprocessed muck that the Wraith lungs feasted on. Ronon charged up and into the forested mountains, wondering if perhaps he could make it all the way to the top before it blew. It would certainly be an amazing thing to see… an exploding ZPM.

But suddenly everything felt wrong again, and the distinctive whine behind him made him howl in bloodthirsty rage.

Todd had kept his word, and now with the culling beam on his feet, Ronon cursed the Wraith with every last hex he could think of.

* * *

Having been called to the control room, Sam nodded to Chuck as she stepped in. "Any word on what happened?"

Chuck shook his head; it was a damn peculiar sensor reading. "Not a thing Ma'am. None of the refugees know the planet and they care even less. Far as I can tell, it's a small supernova…except there wasn't a star at the epicenter."

Sam recalled seeing a supernova once; in fact she had been the one to _create_ it. The amount of force created was truly astronomical. "That's odd… Maybe we should…" A small alarm began to blare, and Sam turned her head around the control room trying to pinpoint the source. "Report! What is that?"

A new control room technician, Amelia Banks, replied in a confident yet confused tone. "Picking up a subspace signal Ma'am… it matches the one from the Wraith Commander known as 'Todd'."

Sam felt a pang of remorse. Hearing the name of the Wraith he'd named… Almost two weeks and still no word from Sheppard. She recalled his initial report on the Travelers and how Larrin had threatened to shove him out an airlock. Sam prayed to God that such a thing hadn't happened. "Can you pinpoint it?"

No other words were necessary. Todd had been key in the disaster at Asuras and Sam felt cold ice flow through her veins at what she'd like to do to him… or rather _it_. "Yes, Ma'am… it's coming from this star system."

Summoned by the alarm, Major Lorne stepped into the control room and saw the star system being highlighted. He had no clue as to what the reason was, and spoke out of confusion. "Uhh… begging your pardon, Ma'am, but what's so interesting about Sateda?"

Sam furrowed her brow, but quickly got the reference. "Sateda? Sateda! Ronon was a Satedan!"

Lorne simply blinked. "Uhh… yeah, he was."

* * *

Ronon felt the dull thump in his head of entering consciousness. He hated getting stunned, especially by the Wraith.

Had he succeeded? Were the thousands of Wraith he saw being birthed gone? Was this just a dream of having survived?

A scuffling nearby told him something was coming near and whatever…or rather whoever… there were a lot of them.

The air tasted sickly sweet, almost like too ripe pineapple and Ronon was worried he'd get drunk from greedily sniffing it in. His heart was pounding… something was very familiar about this place.

And that's when it dawned on him, there was something peculiarly familiar about this place… and the realization grabbed his adrenaline gland and squeezed hard.

He struggled to lift himself out of the rubble, a large amount of debris sat on top of him from some unknown attack. Instantly he heard voices… familiar ones. "Motion! 10 o'clock!"

Todd had kept his promise, the goddamn Wraith bastard had kept his word and saved Ronon… and he'd left him in the only place where he knew he'd be found. "Sheppard!"

More yelling, and soon things became clear. Ronon was lying exhausted in the middle of an abandoned and caved in building…. An old Satedan armory. "Who's in there!? Show yourself!"

Ronon growled softly and forced his body to move. His life wasn't over yet, and seeing the beams of light cut through the smoky haze surrounding the destroyed building he screamed again. "Sheppard!"

Instead of the dark haired Colonel, two AR teams led by Major Lorne and newly promoted Captain Cadman breached into the building and quickly secured it. Ronon paid them no mind and instead forced himself to his full height. Lorne's voice was incredulous. "Oh my sweet …Ronon… is that you!?"

Ronon nodded and dusted himself off. God his muscles ached. "Is it that obvious…? What the hell happened? Where's Sheppard?"

The looks the Marines and Air Force officers shot each other as they covered the huge Satedan said everything Ronon didn't want to hear. He stared at Lorne for a moment then looked down at his stomach. Attached to his shirt was a bloody handkerchief wrapped around the subspace transponder Todd had left.

Tearing the device from his body, Ronon finally couldn't take it and released his primal rage. Dropping to his knees he howled long and loud, warning the gods themselves of the arrival of his lost friends and allies. Lorne and Cadman didn't begrudge him the feeling.

* * *

The good thing about being one of the old ones was that to continually survive the machinations of the younger and brasher ones, it gave him an almost invulnerable aura. Todd was one of the longest living Wraith still left, most others having died out in the war with the Lanteans or through sheer stupidity in rivalry.

Todd didn't begrudge his sub-commander for betraying him. It was a common occurrence in Wraith hierarchy. Only the strong were allowed to remain at the top and only the strong would survive for this long.

His new sub-commander was more conservative and Todd had offered him the opportunity of the ages. Only a true fool would have tried to usurp or squander this level of awesome power.

The Asurans were nigh unstoppable now. There simply wasn't enough time to build the ships needed to effectively combat them. And with their food supply quickly dwindling to nothing from overculling and the genocidal rampage of the Asurans…

But now as Todd and his sub-commander bathed in the warm yellow glow of the last two ZPM's Todd had stolen from Asuras, he knew there was a fighting chance. The cloning vats were foolish and only the ignorance and over-confidence of the Wraith queen and her hive had saved them. "You are quite fortunate to have survived my lord. With these modules we may yet have a chance."

Todd knew those words were placating. The modules were notoriously difficult to integrate into Wraith Hiveship physiology. But it wasn't impossible. "You humor me. It will be many months before we can hope to achieve anything worthy with these modules and we must survive until that point. Have you sent the data to all available hives?"

The Sub-Commander hesitated a second, but nodded seeing that Todd was correct to be worried. The video footage of Ronon destroying the cloning operation had struck fear into the heart of all Wraith and the threat to their very existence had quickly eroded most petty rivalry. "Yes, my lord. Many have already sworn their support in defending the shipyard. We can rely on twelve Hives for now. More will come later."

Twelve hives… a massive fleet indeed in these times. To feed them all would be difficult, but there were still heavily populated worlds that had been spared thus far. "Have the three most able ones begin harvesting our backup supplies… I know where we may yet find an abundant food source, and even the Asurans would dare not follow."

The sub-commander furrowed his brow, and kept his tone respectful, "Where is this paradise?"

Todd snarled, and ran his finger along the ZPM in front of him, So much power… so much potential… all he needed was time. "Later… I shall not spoil the feast for you."

He'd only seen inside the SGC, but he recalled Sheppard's determination to save his friend's sister. Most of all Todd recalled the fresh and delectable taste of the Milky Way human. So unlike the worn leatheryness of Pegasus humans… The Milky Way was a banquet waiting to happen and all that remained was holding on long enough to secure the one thing he really needed… Atlantis.

* * *

**Continued in Episode 3 - Isolation. **

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